Easy Tips That Show How to Teach a Child to Play Basketball

There are many sports that children grow up loving, and basketball is undoubtedly one of these games. Getting kids started with the game from a young age is vital to their development though, and this ensures that they always relate the game of basketball with having fun...

SportsAspire Staff

Last Updated: Mar 6, 2018

Teaching children how to play basketball from a very young age will ensure that they learn the game very well, and this will make them better players in the future. Many parents who are fans of basketball make it a point to get their kid interested in the sport as soon as possible, and no one can deny that this does not carry certain benefits with it. In fact, kids should be taught any sport from a young age, and this plays a part in inculcating certain values, while also making the child competitive by nature.

Character building starts from a very young age, and playing sports is undoubtedly a very effective means of achieving this. The game of basketball is admittedly pretty complex for a child to understand completely at first, but the simple task of throwing the ball into the basket is something that is very easy to comprehend. As they play the sport more often, they will start to learn more about dribbling the ball, passing it and blocking other people's shots, but the primary goal of shooting the ball into the basket will never leave their minds.

Teaching Kids to Play Basketball

The rules apply to pretty much any other sport as well, so they must be adhered to for some time at least.

Do not push the child too hard and let him take his own time to learn the game his own way.

Start teaching him the game from the basics and do not over complicate things by telling him too much.

Make the game rewarding for him by setting some goals and then giving him something when he achieves those goals.

Show him some movies and video clips of the best players from the game and tell him more about the adulation that they receive.

Buy him some merchandise if he has a favorite team, and get him some high quality equipment to play with after some time.

Make the whole experience fun and enjoyable and do not try to cramp his style and change it too much. Kids learn best when they are given their own time to do so.

A lot also depends on the actual age of the child. Children who are around 5 years old will not understand the game properly and will simply like to run around a lot. Humor them so that they associate the game of basketball with having fun, and as they grow older they will start taking the game more seriously. You should also focus on teaching them how to toss the ball and catch it at this stage, and you can even use a smaller sized basketball if possible. Older kids can be taught the rules of the game eventually, but it is more important for them to play the game with a bunch of other kids who are their age and their size. You can subsequently enroll your child in a coaching school for his age group, because there comes a point when basketball can only be learned further by playing competitive games with others.

Teaching Children to Play Basketball

For your child to learn basketball, he must know the basics about shooting the ball, dribbling it, passing it and blocking other players. Teaching them the concepts behind these moves is not very hard, but they should be clearly told what their purpose is. Constantly talking to your child while playing basketball is highly important because of this, and this is something that every parent should remember. Younger kids can be taught the game with smaller hoops as well, and they can end up having a lot of fun as long as they have a constant practice partner. It is of vital importance to not criticize the child harshly if he is doing something wrong or if he is taking time to learn a certain concept. The whole idea here is to teach the child how to have fun and enjoy the game so that he does not view the sport as grueling or taxing.

Once the basics have been learned, you can start teaching your child the ideal positions and body movements for each action. Long drills and stamina building exercises will also prove useful as this will allow the child to play the game for longer hours without getting tired. You must also not forget the importance of the right diet and sufficient amount of sleep as well.

Most importantly, a parent should not obsess about his child becoming a pro at the game. He should allow the child enough freedom to choose for himself, and then work on advanced techniques only if the child shows a genuine interest. Learning to play basketball is not very difficult, it is keeping them interested in the game through encouragement and positivity that is the difficult part.